Awards made in pet industry at gala dinner

The 2017 Pet Industry Federation Awards were announced at a gala dinner held at Whittlebury Hall Hotel, near Northampton, before hundreds of delegates.

The Pet Industry Federation (PIF), the UK trade association for pet businesses, celebrated its 70th anniversary with a special birthday themed awards dinner. The PIF awards recognise entrepreneurial talent, commercial acumen and quality customer service in a range of businesses across the pet industry. The judges whittled down a record number of entries across thirteen categories, as part of the process to choose the overall winners.

The 2017 awards were sponsored by Mars Petcare, Royal Canin, James Wellbeloved, Natures Menu, Agria Pet Insurance, Jelf Insurance and PATS, with PBW News as the media sponsor.

The full list of winners were:

Independent Pet Retailer 2017 – sponsored by ROYAL CANIN & James Wellbeloved

Unique Pets, Aylesbury

Pet Retail Chain 2017 – sponsored by Natures Menu

Kennelgate, Hucknall Branch

Wholesaler of the Year 2017 - sponsored by PATS

Bestpets

Manufacturer of the Year 2017 - sponsored by PATS

Marriages Specialist Foods

Exporter of the Year 2017

Little BigPaw

Sustainability Award 2017

Inspired Pet Nutrition

Innovation Award 2017

Natures Menu

Kennel/Cattery Business 2017 - sponsored by Jelf Insurance

Chetwynd Firs Boarding Kennels & Cattery, Telford

Pet Grooming Business 2017

Shampooches of Harrogate

Charity of the Year 2017 - sponsored by Mars Petcare

The Burns Pet Nutrition Foundation

Pet Service Business 2017 - Doggy Daycare

Suffolk Canine Creche

Pet Service Business 2017 - Dog Walking & Home Boarding

Woof Walkies, Wrexham

Pet Service Business 2017 - Other

Very Important Pets, London

Lifetime Achievement Award 2017 - sponsored by Agria Pet Insurance

Richard Higgs

The Awards took place against the backdrop of the Pet Industry Forum, which was packed with a fantastic line-up of a range business speakers whose presentations were often insightful and interactive. An outstanding array of talks covering packaging, retail theatre, exporting to the US and online security ensured that delegates took away top-level information and advice to help them develop their businesses.

Referring to the PIF Awards, PIF Chief Executive, Nigel Baker said: “The PIF awards showed that the UK pet industry is thriving. The record number of entries we received this year, the range of businesses; the innovative approach that so many companies are taking and the positive response to what the consumer is looking for, show that the pet industry in this country has got a lot to be optimistic about and is working hard to secure its future. Many congratulations to our worthy winners. Our judges had their work cut out to determine the winning businesses this year, from the exceptionally tough competition in each of the shortlists.”

Further details about the event can be found at www.petfederation.co.uk